11 Bay Staters Head to Respective National Mid-Amateur Championships

NORTON, Massachusetts – All eyes will once again be on Massachusetts golfers as 11 competitors from the Bay State will begin play at the 38th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and 32nd U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina and St. Louis, Missouri, respectively.

One year removed from claiming the title in an 8 and 6 victory over North Carolina’s Josh Nichols at Atlanta’ Capital City Club, Brockton’s Matt Parziale will look to defend his U.S. Mid-Amateur title beginning Saturday at Charlotte Country Club. Parziale, who earned entrance into the 2018 Masters Tournament and U.S. Open Championship as a result of winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship last October, will lead the field of 264 competitors eyeing a spot past the two rounds of stroke play and a return to match play, which will begin on Monday for the top-64 competitors. Carolina Golf Club, also in Charlotte, will serve as the stroke play co-host venue, with each competitor playing one round of stroke play at both courses.

Joining Parziale as Bay State representatives at the U.S. Mid-Amateur include Kingston’s Herbie Aikens, Osterville’s Brian Bassett, Weymouth’s David Spitz and Needham’s Jordan Burke and Kevin Quinn. Aikens and Spitz qualified on August 23 at Waubeeka Golf Links in Williamstown, while Bassett, Burke and Quinn each advanced from the Charles River CC qualifying site in Newton on August 20.

Shannon Johnson will look to take another leap on the national stage beginning Saturday when the 32nd U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship kicks off at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Johnson, who resides in Norton, made headlines this summer when she won the 115th Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship at George Wright Golf Course. She also collected victories at the Edith Noblit Baker Trophy, the New England Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship, and the Grace Keyes Cup, among others. She recently finished T48 in the Massachusetts Mid-Amateur championship held last week at Plymouth Country Club.

Exempt into this weekend’s national tournament after finishing as runner-up in the 2016 championship, a 2 and 1 defeat to Julia Potter at The Kahkwa Club, Johnson returned to the semifinals in 2017 before falling to Mary Jane Hiestand in 19 holes at the Champions Golf Club in Houston.

In addition to Johnson, four others from Massachusetts will be in the field beginning Saturday in Missouri. Norton’s Megan Buck, Westwood’s Sue Curtin, and Winchester’s Tracy Welch, who each qualified at Charles River Country Club in Newton on August 20, will join Longmeadow Country Club’s Meredith Chiampa, of New York City, among the field of 132.

Additionally, former Bay Stater turned Floridian Tara Joy-Connelly, an eight-time Anne Marie Tobin Player of the Year recipient and two-time Women’s Amateur champion, will also be in the field.

Mass Golf will provide coverage for its competitors playing in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Visit MassGolf.org and follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest information. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #MassGolf, #USMidAm and #USWomensMidAm.

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